Ignition apparatus



W. B. MOSES.

IGNlTlON APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 17, I916.

1 ,306, 1 1 6. Patented June 10, 1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

W. B. MOSES.

lGNITlON APPARATUS.

APPLICATlON FILED JAN. 17. 1916.

Patented um) 10, 1919.

- 40 is shown one of various possible embodi- WILLIAM B. MosEsoF-BRooxLINE, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR 'ro 1110., or omnmnen, MASSACHUSETTS.

Toall whom itmay co ncera 5 'Be it knownthat 1. WILLIAM B.Mosns,'

citizen of the United States, and resident of i in the county of Norfolk and 6 State of Massachusetts, have invented cer- Brookline,

tain new and useful Improvements I nition Apparatus, of which the fOIlOWIDg IS a specification.

ratus andwith regard to certain more'spe- LcificIfeatures thereof to breakers and distributers. V a A It is'one of the objects of the invention'to provide a simple, durable and extremely w Another object of the invention is to provide a reliably operative'device which will meet the demands of eight and twelve c linder engines particularly as to speed o operation. i The invention has for another of its objects the provision ofapparatus wherein the parts may be quickly and conveniently assembled or reinoved. 25

I of a device of the above stated character wherein simple, inexpensive and reliable means are employed to obviate the necessity for moving the primary leads to obtain variations in spark timing.

Other objects will be in part obvious and in part particularly pointed out hereinafter. The invention accordingly consists in the various features of construction, combinations of elements and arrangements ofparts v.whichwill be exemplified by the construc tionhereinafter set forth and the scope of the application of which will be indicated by the following claims. j

In the accompanying drawings wherein ments of the invention:

Figure 1 1s a view in elevation of a breaker distributer embodying the invention. this view portions of the casing and distribclearly the interior structure.

Fig.2 is a plan-view of the same with the of the distributer removed. Fig. 3 is a view in vertical section taken substantially along theline 33"of Fig. 2

but with 'distributer head and'contactcarry- I ing arm .of distributer included.

.This invention relates to ignition appa d ameter by and 4 until it finally develops into a cup 5 compact device ofvthe character above stated.

internal combustion engine.

Still another object lies in the provision ducting material.

above the other.

uter head are broken away to show more distributer head and contact carrying arm brushes serve not GRAY & DAVIS 'xemi'roiv APPARATUS.

Fig. 4 is a view in horizontal section taken substantially along the line 44' of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a wiring diagram illustrating the primary circuit.

Fig. '6 is a side view of a portion of the casing showing in dotted lines the brush and plate contact inthe primary circuit.

Referring now more particularly tothe rawings in which similar reference characters refer to similar parts'throughout the several views, there is indicated at 1 a tubular casing, progressively increasing in diseveral steps as indicated at 2.

' rovided with a horizontal flange portion 6.

otatively supported in this casing is a shaft 7 adapted to be driven in direct proportion to the speed of the crank shaft of an fixed thereon twov cam elements provided with a plurality of cam portions 10. The bottom of the'cup 5 of casing 1 serves to support a metal plate or disk 12 which in turn has fixed'thereon as by means of rivets 13 a pair of plates 14 and 15 of con- These plates are separated from each other and insulated from the plate or disk 12. An upright 16 of conducting material is fixed upon the plate 15 and carries two fixed An upright pivot pin. 19 is fixed upon plate 14 and serves as -a pivot for two curved rocker arms 20 and 21, carrying respectively the movablecontacts 22 and These rocker arms are of sheet metal bent in substantially U shape providing side.

Walls within which thecam rollers 24 and 25 are journaled. Leaf springs 26 and 27 bear against a curved upstanding portion 28 of the plate 14 and take in' upon their respective rocker arms at points 29 .as shown clearly Fig. 2 of the drawings. These springs tend to urge the rockers against the action of the cam portions 10 and intoclosed contact position. Casing 1 is formed with bosses 30 and 31 and these are provided with suitable terminals for the leads of the primary circuit, the terminals being insulated from the casing 1 as indicated at 32. The conductors 33 of the terminals, extend into the cup of the casing and carry flexible C011. ducting brushes 34 which make electrical contact with the plates 14 and 15. These only as conductors but in Shaft 7 has i 8 and 9 each contacts 17 and 18 one L 38 limit the range of angular movement of displacement. A' shoulder 36 projecting 1 from the bottom of the cup 5 serves-to, pren'vent'radial displacement of the plate 12.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that plate 12 supports two separate plates, which in turn carry respectively the fixed and movable contacts of the primary circuit interrupter.

plate is restricted in vertical or radial move mentj but is free for angular movement.

'of an arm 37 secured to bolts or screws or rivets or in any other 'suitable'manner to the plate 12, the shanks of the bolts or screws passing through an arcuate slot 38 in'the bottom of the cup 5. 'The ends of the slot the plate 12..and the plates 14 and.1-5 are sufficiently elongated to remain in contact' with the brushes 34 throughout the entire possible range of movement of the plate 12. It'is to be noted that the fixed contacts, movablefcontactsand the means for urging the 4 contacts to closed position are merged into tionone instrumentality. which is easily "removable from the casing without disorganizaand by simply removing the brushes 34, fin er piece 35 and the arm 37.

v 0 meet the demands of modern-engine construction in whichthe number of cyli'n-: ders has been increased, it is desirable to take steps to eliminate mechanical and elec trical lag or in'some manner to compensate for thesede'trlmental characteristics It will be noted that the cams 8 and-9 are substan tially counterparts each. having, in the present embodiment, six raised cam portionslO.

It' w-ill be further noted that cam portions 10.0f the respective cams are staggered :so

that they do not function on their respective rolls inthe same way at the same time. By such construction the contacts move somewhat in opposite directions the primary circuit being-open whenboth sets of contactsare open and ;one movable contact always nearer to closed, position than the one last opened, This construction compensates for mechanical and electrical lag as will be here'- inafter pointed out, and, furthermore, pro- "ides an extremely compact device which e r highly important in automobile 1 construction.

. A contact carryingfarm 40 is; fixed upon the upper end of theshaft '1 and carries mner and outer contacts 41 and 423 While these are spoken of as contacts it will be obvious that in the embodiment shown they are of the type known as jump contacts. .The invention, however, contemplates as 4 the use of p contacts o yany other I form. A distributer head {13 of i la g.

This angular movement is effected by means .matei"ialisarranged over the cup of the cas- ..ing 1 fitting over a shoulder 44 formed on the flange 60f casing. This head is secured in position by spring clips 45 located dia metrically opposite and pivoted on the casing 1 as indicated at 46. The embodiments shown in the drawings is for use with a twelve cylinder internal combustion engine and-has accordingly twelve terminals for connecting with the leads to the spark plugs.

- To secure further compactness these term i- It will be obvious thatthe the inner movable contact 41 coiiperates with the inner circular row of contacts 48 and that theouter contact 42 cooperates w th thosein the outer path. The high tension terminal of the distributer circuit is centrally located as indicated at,.{l9 and. connects by means of a carbon tip .or brush 50 and a spring conductor 51 with the contacts r 0 Referring to Fig. 5, itwill be seen-that and 42.

the contact sets are arranged in multiple in the primary circuit. It is therefore-desirable that both sets of contacts shall be in open position for a brief-period when either one of the contacts 41 or 42 is opposite a fixed contact of the dist-ributer head.

In the operation of the present device each movable contact isgiven twelve movements; that is, SIX in each dlrection for-one rotation of the cam shaft. Each set is therefore opened and closed six times. The contact carrying rocker arms 20 and '21 are 'co-extensive and the cam rollers 2i and 25 have thelr axes in alinement so that, assuminga po nt in the cycleof operation corresponding to the showing in Fig. 2 of the drawings, as

a cam portion 10 of the lower canrS ispass at this point moving by means of spring 27;

back to closed position. 'It will be noted,

therefore, that at the time thecircuit' is opened by disengagement of the upper set of contacts the lower movable contact has spent the outward velocity given by the cam and is under complete control of its spring which is' tending to return it to closed positio as quickly as: the .cam portioni 10 is moved beyondits cam roller. This provides a briefbut sufiicient opening of the primary circuit and permits building up of the-coil to a point of high efliciency. I

:When'desired to vary thetime of actu'at1on of the contacts for the purpose of oband 42 on thecar .to insure com-pletlon of the secondary cira limlting sense.

' of interrupter .taining advance or retard of the spark in the engine cylinder the arm37 is moved giving an angular range of movement to the plate 12 and the contacts carried thereon. This varies the position of the cam rolls with respect to the cams andthe contacts 41 ing arm 40 are elongated cuits.

As many changes could be made in the above construction and many apparently ,widely different embodiments of the invention' could be made without departing from the scope thereof it is intended that all matter contained in the foregoing description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in Having described the invention what I desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In apparatus of the character described, in combination, acasing containing two sets contacts adapted to be arranged in a primary circuit, and means adapted to actuate contacts of the respective sets simultaneously, the arrangement of parts being such that one set is closin while the other is opening providing a brief period in which the primary circuit is open through both sets.

2. In apparatus of the character described, in combination, a primary circuit, two sets of interrupter contacts arranged in multiple in said circuit, means adapted to open said circuit by opening one said set of contacts while the other is open, and means for moving said other set of contacts to closed position while the first said set is'open.

3. In apparatus of the character described, in combination, a casing, two, sets of interrupter contacts, each set comprising a fixed contact element and a movable contact element, the movable contact'elements being pivotally mounted with their axes in aline-' ment, means for actuating the movable contacts to open position, and means cooperating with said last means for starting one of .said movable contacts on its return to closed position during the period of opening movement of said other movable contact.

In apparatus .of the character described, in combination, a casing, two sets of interrupter contacts, each set comprising a fixed contact element and a movable contact element, the movable contact elements being pivotallvmounted with their axes in alinement, means comprising a camshaft for actuating the movable contacts to open position, and means cooperating with said last means for starting one of said movable contacts on its return to closed position during the period of opening movement of said other movable contact. I 5. In apparatus of the character described, in combination, a primary circuit terrupters adapted to each respectively interrupting device, a secondary circuit distributing device comprising a plurality of fixed contact members arranged in two annular paths and.a pair of rotatable contacts adapted tocooperate each respectively and alternatel I With fixed contacts in the different annu ar paths, and means in axial alinement for actuating said interrupting device and said movable contacts.

"6. In apparatus of the character described, in combination, a pair of circuit in-' 'beincluded in the primary circuit, a secondary circuit distributing device comprising aplurality of fixed contact members arranged in two annular paths and a pair-of revoluble contacts adapted to cooperate each respectively and alternately with fixed contacts in the different annular paths, and means having their axes in alinementfor actuating said interrupting device and said revoluble con- .said interrupter device and said revoluble contacts. I

8. In apparatus of the character described, in combination, a rotatable shaft, an interrupter for a primary circuit comprising actuatorson said shaft, a plurality of fixed distributer contacts arranged at different distances radially from. the axis of said shaft, and contacts moved by said shaft for cooperating with said fixed contacts to complete the secondary circuits alternately through fixed contacts of different radial positions.

9. In apparatus of the character described, in combination, a primary circuit having in parallel a pluralityv of contactsets, each set comprising a fixed and a movable contact element, means adapted to actuate the movable contacts of each .set successively to open position, and means adapted to actuate said movable contacts to closed position, the arrangement of parts being such that the sets are simultaneously open for a brief period in the operation.

10. In apparatus of scribed, in combination, circuit having terminals therein, a shaftrotatably' mountedtherein and provided with cam portionsrand, a contact carrying elemerit, a primary circuit interrupter actuthe character dea casing,aa primary.

atedvby said cam portions, a dis'tributer-head arranged ina plurality of annular paths, a

fixed contact member for each terminal, a

contact for each annular path, the same be- 11. In apparatus of the character de scribed. in combination, a casing, a distributor head thereon, a shaft ournaled in said casing, a plate angularly movablein said casing and about said shaft, two contact plates fixed to said movable plate and supporting.respectively a movable contact member and a fixed contact member 1n electrical communication with said plates, terminals in said casing having brushes contacting \vithsa'id plates, a contact carrying member on-said shaft cooperating with contacts carried by the distributer head and means adapted to move the first said plate through an angular-range causing the contact plates to moverelatively to said brushes.

12. In apparatus of the character described, in combination, a casing, ashaft ro-' tatably mount-ed therein and providedwitll cam; portions and a contact carrying ele ment, a primary circuit interrupter actu ated by said cam portions, a 'distributer head mounted on said casing carrying terminals'arranged in a plurallty of annular paths, a fixed contact member for each terminal, a contact for each annular path the same being movable by said carrying'element into circuit completing relation alternately with the contacts in the respective paths.

13. In. ignition apparatus, in combination, a casing having terminals therein,-'a rotatable element within said casing having means making electrical connection with said terminals throughout a range of 'movement of said element, a contact set carried by said element comprising a fixed and a movable contact, actuating means forsaid contact set, and means for moving said rotatable element within said casing andindependently of said terminals.

14. In ignition apparatus, a casing, a plate arranged therein'for relative movement therewith. a terminal in said casing, a fixed and a movable contact carried by said plate. an operating'member whereby said plate may be moved relatively to said casing and indepcndently'of said terminal, and a brush connection between said terminal and one of said contacts.

15. In ignition apparatus, in combination, a casing having a pair of terminals located therein, a shaft in said casing, a supporting plate Journaled 1n said casing, cir- .prising a plurality of contact pairs in par cumscribing said shaft, a fixed contact and v a movable contact both supported by said plate, a pair of conductor members insu-v lated from said plate and from each other, one of the pair electrically communicating with the fixed contact and the other electrically communicating with the movable 0on tact, conductor members extending from the terminals and communicating-with the'firs't said conductor members, and means for electrically connecting said conductor members with said terminals and permitting .relative movement therebetween.

16. In ignition apparatus, in combination, a casing having a terminal therein, a con tact set in said casing comprising a fixed contact and a pivoted movable contact, a rotatable supporting element for said contact set. a conductor member associated with one of said contacts and a brush connection between said conductormember and saidter'minal. I

17 In ignition apparatus in combination, a cup shaped casing, a contact actuating shaft extending'intosaid casing, a rotatable contact supporting-elementrjournaled in said casing,'terminals in said casing, a fixed contact and a movable contact mounted to be rotated with said] contact-supporting ele- "ment, conductor members carried by said supporting element and. electrically communicating with said contacts respectively and brushes bearing on said conductor members in position to assist inholding said. sup porting element against displacement except through a range of rotatable movement, said brushes electrically connecting said conductor members respectively to said-terminals. 18. In ignition apparatus, in combination, an interrupter mechanism comprising a plurality of contact sets a rranged in parallel in a primary circuit and a distributer mechanism comprising a multiplicity of contacts arranged in a plurality of paths and a rotatable member having a plurality of contacts adapted. to engage respectively with the contacts in different paths.

' 19. In ignition apparatus, in combination, a casing, primary circuitmeans therein comallel arrangement in said circuit, means for actuating said contact sets comprising a shaft extending within said casing, a plurality of rotatable distributer contacts car- 3 ried by said-shafacand a head having a multiplicity of distributer contacts fixed therein, said rotatable distributer contacts being adapted to cooperate respectively with different contacts of said head to completetlie secondary circuits. 5 1

20. In ignition apparatus, in combination, a pair of interrupter contact sets, each set comprising a movable and a relatively fixed contact. said sets being in parallel in the prlmary circuit and actuating means for'130 40 that the spring means has substantially said contacts adapted to open one set before the other and close one set before the other,

there being an overlap whereby both sets are open atthe same time during the actuating operation. a 21. In ignition a )paratus for multi-cyl1nder engines, in com lnatlon, a caslng, a shaft therein, a pair of contact sets, each set comprising a palrxof contactsrelatively mov-' able into and out of engagement. the sets being arranged in parallel in a primary circuit, contact actuatln means, a rotatable carrier on said shaft aving a plurality of contacts rotatable in different paths and a single distributer head having contacts adapted to-co6perate with, said rotatable contacts to complete the secondary circuit.

22. In ignition apparatus for multi-cylin- (ler engines in combination, interrupter and distributer mechanism arranged in a single unit with a pair of interru ter contact sets in the primary circuit an secondary confacts for all the cylinders of-the englnearranged in a single head of said unit.

- 23. In ignition apparatus for mnlti-cylim,

der engines in combination, interrupter and distributer mechanism arranged in a single unit with a pair of interrupter contact sets in parallel arrangement int he' primary circuit and secondary contacts for all the cylinders of the engine arranged in a single head of saidunit.

24. In ignitionapparatus for engines in combination, a pair of'contact sets each set comprising relatively movable contacts, means for opening said sets at different times, and sprin means for opposing the opening action, t e opening means and the spring means being so arranged and related I scribed overcome the action of the opening means on one set as the opening means acts to open the other set.

25. In ignition apparatus for engines in combination, a pair of contactsets each set comprising relatively movable contacts,

means for openingsaidsets at difl'erent tunes, a casing for the aforesaid means and contacts, a head: having distributer contacts for all the cylinders in the engine, and means driven with the opening means having a plurality of contacts adapted to co6p erate respectively with different distributer contacts. p

v 26. In ignition apparatus, in combination,

a 'casing containing primarycircuit terminals and a pair "of contact sets in parallel arrangement, a distributer head havin a multiplicity of contacts arranged in di erent rows, and a shaft carryin actuating means for saidsets and a plura ity of contacts adapted to cooperate with said distributer contacts.

2-7. In apparatus of the character dethe arrangement of the contactsand actu ating' meansbeing such thatone set is closing while the other is opening. I

QSigned at, Cambridge in the county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts this 8th day of January A. D. 1916.

. i WILLIAM B, MOSES. X

in combination, a casing, a shaft to rotate therein, two sets of interapted to actuatethe movable con- 'tacts' of the respecti e sets simultaneously, 

